Chief minister is a term used retroactively by historians to describe servants of the English monarch who presided over the government of England, and after 1707, Great Britain, before 1721. Chief ministers were usually one of the great officers of state, but it was not unusual for there to be no chief minister. Under the Norman and Angevin kings, the justiciar was often chief minister. When kings left England to oversee other parts of the Angevin Empire, the justiciar functioned as his viceroy or regent. In the 13th century, after the loss of the Angevin territories in France, the justiciar's power declined as monarchs resided permanently in England. For the next three centuries, the Lord Chancellor was most often chief minister. The chancellor served as Keeper of the Great Seal, presided over the Privy Council and Parliament, and led the High Court of Chancery. After the English Reformation, the chancellor's power shifted to the Lord High Treasurer. After 1721, the office of prime minister became the head of British governments. This list of chief ministers is organised by royal dynasty. For a list of particular governments of the Kingdom of England, see List of English ministries. Anglo-Saxons Normans Plantagenets 1274–1292: Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells 1330–1340: John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury 1367–1371: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester 1389–1391: William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester House of Lancaster 1413–1417: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester 1422–1435: John, Duke of Bedford, Regent, died 14 September 1435 1422–1437: Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Regent, died 23 February 1447 1424–1427: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester 1432–1447: Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester 1447–1450: William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk 3 April 1454 – February 1455: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York 19 November 1455 – 25 February 1456: Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, Protector (Regent) for King Henry VI 1470–1471: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick; known as Warwick the Kingmaker; killed at the Battle of Barnet House of York 1461–1467: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick; known as Warwick the Kingmaker 1475–1483: Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York 30 April – 26 June 1483: Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, was Lord Protector of the Realm during the nominal reign of 12-year-old King Edward V (one of the "Princes in the Tower"), before claiming the throne for himself as King Richard III House of Tudor House of Stuart